Today, January 19, 2012, I’m very pleased to announce that Sprouse Marketing Group has launched and is open for business.
On many fronts, this is a momentous day for me personally. Any time you switch gears and change jobs – whether it is leaving to go to another company or starting your own new gig – it meets with some parts excitement, some parts extra motivation, and some parts scariness. I think to be really effective, the exciting and motivating parts should far outweigh the scary parts in terms of your mindset. Nevertheless, I believe a little bit of paranoia is never a bad thing and actually can add to motivation too – not that I need any more motivation in this particular case.
Starting my own agency means I’m attaching my own personal brand to the brand of the company. This is, quite simply, exhilarating. A majority of the American workforce – including me for the last 15 years – hitches their wagon to someone else’s brand. Even if you’re a CMO, as I have been, most people don’t “own” the brand in the way they rightfully should (for a variety of reasons too complex to talk about here). They never get to truly own their own brand and have it meld with their professional persona. This is exciting for me, but also for my team which – no matter how “big” we get – will always remain relatively small because I want them to be a part of the brand and feel ownership of it too. Nothing is as demotivating as not feeling truly vested in what’s going on, or having no belief whatsoever in the business you’re apart of.
Plus, it also means that if my team and I succeed, we weren’t reliant on anyone else to do it. This is something that has always been a great formula for me dating back to my tennis career. Likewise, if we fail, we have no one else to blame but ourselves, which again, can be extra-motivating.
I appreciate the support of the readers of this blog! You’ve actually provided me the highest-trafficked month since this blog started, and we’re only 2/3 of the way through January. The best part about hitching your wagons to your own brand is that it allows me to write more on this very website. And that will continue. Sprouse Marketing Group purposely doesn’t have their own blog; if you’re wondering our opinion or outlook on something, this is the place you come. I want people to know me and know my viewpoints, because those viewpoints are extensions of what Sprouse Marketing Group – and our entire staff – believes.
Finally, I had a small support system that has provided encouragement over the last month or so to get me across the finish line, which has included some close family and friends. I had an even smaller support system that have helped me create this company and get it going, market it behind the scenes, etc. That very elite and small group of folks starts with my wife, and also extends to a very few special individuals in my innermost circle. You know who you are. Thank you.
Feel free to check out our website here or at http://www.SprouseMarketing.com to see everything we do. I believe it is a very comprehensive list of services that is unique. If you or anyone you know are perhaps in the market for an award-winning team with deep expertise on seriously all facets of marketing, I’d be thankful if you thought of us.
Good like Mr. Sprouse. Look forward to following your progress and helping out where I can.
Good like is supposed to be Good Luck!